I Share Your Sentiments
by merryfortune
Summary: Magnus declares his love to Samirah who he knows does not return his feelings.
**I Share Your Sentiments**

Magnus thrust out his arm and held tightly onto a crumpled daisy. His arm shook and frustration moulded his face. 'Are you okay, Magnus?' Samirah asked. She was completely shocked by his sudden and erratic behaviour. He had gotten them alone and now that they were alone, he seemed like he wanted to be anywhere else but near her. They kept distance from each other.

'We need to talk.' Magnus announced.

'Clearly.' agreed Samirah.

'I expect any day now that you are going to announce that a wedding between you and Amir will proceed.'

'What?' Samirah gasped.

Magnus met her eyes with ferocity. 'Please don't interrupt me.' He begged and his outstretched arm continued to shake. His eyes watered. 'I am in love with you, Samirah al-Abbas. But I accept that you are not in love with me and that's fine. I'm fine.' His voice cracked and his eyes deepened, swam with tears but Magnus ignored them. 'I am very much in love with you, to the-to the point that I can understand why my father sacrificed Jack for it. I-I completely understand.'

A huge weight clung around Magnus' neck and Samirah covered her mouth.

'I am in love with every aspect of you. I love your face, the way your cheeks are so curved. You can tell you're secretly a lion because your cheeks are just so full. I love your eyes and I love your voice best but I know you're insecure about your voice because you can use it to lie and I'm so proud of your resolve to be nothing like your father. I've never heard you sing in the five years I have known you but I know for certain that you would sound amazing and one day, I want to hear you sing a lullaby because I think it would be the prettiest sound in the world. But the best thing about your voice is that it teaches me stuff. I've learned so much stuff over the years because of you and even though it kinda attacks my pride, I love it anyway – especially.' Magnus continued.

The tears weren't stopping. They were worsening. Samirah didn't know how she felt because she was flattered and scared at once.

'I love that your favourite hijab is green because green is a colour that makes me happy. At first, it was because it reminded me of my mom, and later because it reminded me of both my parents but now the colour green makes me happy because it reminds me of you.'

Samirah was wearing that green hijab now. Her fingers played with its fringe. It was getting so old now from all of the battles she had worn it in.

'I love that you're so smart and witty. You make me laugh and smile. But just seeing you these days makes me smile – because I'm so in love with you. When you smile, I smile. And your smile, gods, it could make anyone smile.'

Samirah's lips loosened and she smiled. She had never heard anyone talk about her so earnestly and lovingly that it was bringing them to tears. It was bringing her to tears now. Watching Samirah smile made Magnus smile even though he was in agony from his soul-wrenching confession.

'I love that you're so strong. It makes me jealous at times because let's be honest, you could snap Yggdrasil in half if you really tried and I'm not anything like that. You are fearless and brave and-and Amir is lucky to have you. Your kids, gods, they'll be able to make falafel out of giants when they grow up.' Magnus said.

He wobbled even worse now. 'Amir is so lucky to have you.' His stubborn tears continued to dribble down his face. 'I hope that when I meet another girl who I can fall in love with, I hope we'll still be friends that way our kids could be friends too. Can they call me "Uncle Jimmy" 'cause I'm gonna let mine call you "Aunt Sam". But not if that annoys you… I want us to stay friends because I know you're not in love with me.'

Magnus sniffed. Samirah crumbled. 'If we stay friends a-and if our kids are friends, could they…? Is that...? I'll let you teach 'em faith because I'm not going to. I think it's so admirable that despite everything you still believe in a higher power, higher than any of the gods – Norse, Greek, Roman, Egyptian – because I worry about you… I still don't know what happens to Valkyries after they die. I wish they just become Einherjar because that way, they're still with us and I'm so scared that one day… that one day.'

'Magnus, let's not talk about that…' Samirah offered and Magnus nodded.

He sniffed again and wiped his face. 'Let's always be friends Samirah. But there's something I want to sacrifice for you and that's my love… I swear by my troth that I will never think of you that way ever again. But you have to swear by your troth that you will always be my friend. Please swear it.' Magnus begged.

The weight on his neck subsided now that Jack realized that Magnus wasn't going to sacrifice him for love.

Samirah gasped. 'Magnus,' she breathed. She walked towards him and Magnus lowered his arm. Samirah hugged him. Her arms around his back. Magnus didn't hug back. He just accepted her warmth.

'Please Magnus, hug back…' Samirah murmured but Magnus refused so Samirah let go. Concern painted her lion-like face. Her eyes were sorrowful and Magnus felt so empty.

'Just swear by your troth that we will always be friends.' Magnus asked, louder and angrier this time.

Samirah took his hand and she took the daisy from him. It was just a garden variety daisy, a weed really. She wondered where Magnus had gotten it. It looked like he had just plucked it from some random Midgard garden. The daisy was so beaten up and yet, its stem was a bright green. She wondered if Magnus had chosen it because the stem reminded him of her.

She wondered if Magnus had chosen it because of its meaning in the language of flowers. As a son of Frey, it was only natural that he would be a romantic.

'Magnus…' Samirah murmured.

'Please just reject me and put me out of my misery.' Magnus sounded like he was begging for death, not friendship.

Samirah's words were on the tip of her tongue yet she didn't know what she was going to say. Yet she spoke anyway.


End file.
